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Student intern Denisse Navarro-Perez stocks shelves Jan. 24 at Creighton Cupboard. Navarro-Perez is a business/pre-law major at Creighton and a member of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Omaha. DANIKA LANG/STAFF

Food pantry opens for Creighton University students

Fri, 02/01/2019 - 6:00amadmin

By Danika Lang

Catholic Voice

Food insecurity is a pressing issue not only at a global level, but also a local one.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food insecurity is “a lack of available financial resources for food at the level of the household.” This definition is what Michele Bogard, associate vice provost for student engagement at Creighton University, uses to identify students in need of assistance through Creighton Cupboard.

Creighton Cupboard, an on-campus student food pantry, opened Jan. 16 in the lower level of McGloin Hall. It is available to any current student who self-identifies as having low food security, said Bogard. This includes undergraduate, graduate and professional students living on and off campus.

To receive food, students must complete an online registration form and go through the intake process to determine their needs and walk them through the shopping process, she said.

“We have it set up so that students are able to come in during (pantry) hours, and once they register they only have to do the intake process once. Students can come in and basically shop for what they need to make seven complete meals for that week,” Bogard said.

During the intake process, students may receive referrals to other on-campus or community resources to assist them. This might include access to healthy recipes to make with the ingredients they have acquired.

In its first week, the cupboard already had 13 students register, Bogard said. Depending on how many students express an interest this semester, the pantry will adjust accordingly to the demand.

Creighton’s student food pantry follows the university’s mission. “As a Catholic and Jesuit institution, one of our charisms is that we are called to be men and women for and with others and so we really want to walk in solidarity with our students and be able to assist in any way that we can.” Bogard said. “Our goal is to meet each individual student with where they are at and to treat each student as an individual and respect the dignity of that individual person.”

For more information on Creighton Cupboard, including pantry hours, registration information, and how to donate, visit www.creighton.edu/cupboard.